This just in.....Pole Running? Old News? or New?

I am not sure where October has disappeared to? Tons of great things have happened over the last couple weeks. It has been 5 full weeks (except 1 afternoon of mountain biking) since I have done anything that involves pedaling. Yesterday was the first day since Austria that I had some thoughts about the bike. I am still not planning on doing anything about that thought for at least another month to month and a half. As much as I like riding bikes, I like other stuff too. I have been doing a good amount of running, 90-120km per week, part road and part trail. I try to keep the longer stuff off piste and with poles. People usually look at you with a weird intriging look on their face as you zip by them, easly manouvering the most technical (and sometimes wet) sections on the bruce trail with ease and stability. Pole running is a amazing cross/fall/winter training workout for a couple reasons.

1) It lowers the impact forces that are put on your body by a enormouse amount, meaning you can run longer miles with less fatigue and stress on your body.
2) Stability, poles give you double the number of contact points with you and the surface you are running on, lessening the chance of a slip or fall. (I will second that, poles have saved my ass a couple of times).
3) It fires more muscle groups than traditional running, raising your heart rate easier to your target hr zone. (burns more kcals).
4) It is faster. Simply put, pole running is quicker than regular running/jogging. (Who doesn't want to go faster?).

You don't need to go drop $200 on the most expensive poles that you can buy (although if you have cash to burn, than a nice set of carbon poles that are stupid light would be worth the investment). A simple set of downhill ski poles will work for most people. They are usually crazy cheap if not free from the lost and found at your local ski hill.

Love Fall (minus the rain).

Been busy lately. Racing wrapped up for the season and now it is back to the real world. I have been riding as little as possible, which a good thing because rest is one of the most important things to a athlete, actually make that to everyone. Rest is key. Unfortunately I don't rest very well. Sure I may not be racing every weekend, or logging serious miles on the bike, but this is the only time of year that I have to cram all the other things I like to do and in such a short time. So scratch the rest. I'll do that later. Right, so 5:45am runs (trail/ road/ Some crossfit tossed in) until just after the sun comes up. Fight traffic across a almost ridiculous maze of 50 zones and stop lights to king township where I am working this fall. It is almost funny driving from here to there cause it is so SLOW! We have been trying to find the fastest way there and back? Funny, the other day on Aurora Rd. we found a Starbucks 10 min out of our way. Well that just kiboshed the fastest route plan, because I have had way to much tim horton's. Tim's sucks and especially just after coming from a couple of weeks in europe where they actually appreciate and enjoy their coffee. Rather than North American's where the majority of our daily calories comes from a "dubbledubble" or a bloody "tribbletribble". Are you kidding me? I get a "half of a milk" half of a sugar" and that's really just to cut the crappy taste. Right, I think it's time to change topics.

I am hoping to hit up the Ishpatina ridge next weekend, totally depending on what the weather is saying though. I am also trying to get out climbing more before the white stuff comes and the the option for so many other great things arise! I have a pile of stuff to do this fall and as of right now, I am playing like it's still July!. Minus the cold rain, which snaps you back into reality that "yes it is October".